5 medium enterprises graduated from
the Department of Trade
and Industry Region
4-A’sKAPATID Mentor
ME-Money and Market
Encounter (KMME-MME)
Program on July 11, 2023
via Zoom. In partnership with the Philippine
Center for Entrerepeneurship-Go Negosyo,KMME-MME Online Multisectoral Batch Graduation
was conducted after the
mentees’ successful presentation of their Business Improvement Plan
(BIP) to an expanded
panel of evaluators composed of representatives
from the banks, online
market platforms, and
other business support
organizations.
“This year marks the
8th year of the KMME
Program, and it has never
been this fulfilling to witness how this program
produced so many successful entrepreneurs
over the years. I am
proud to say that this is
where we get our champions, our future successful businessmen and
women, and of course,
our future mentors.More
than the success, it is
the story behind it that
makes everything worth
it—the failures that built
your character, the hardlearned discipline, and
your courage along the
way. I hope these shape
your whole entrepreneurial journey, spreading contagious positivity
to your fellow entrepreneursand inspiring those
that are still dreaming,”
said DTI 4-A OIC-Assistant Regional Director
Revelyn A. Cortez in her
welcome remarks.
The KMME-MME
Online is designed to
integrate MME into the
regular KMME Program.
This aims to provide a
platform for existing and
aspiring MSMEs to learn
and be inspired by the
entrepreneurial journey
of mentors online, adapt
their business strategies
in responding to the challenges of the new normal
business environment,
be the channel for capacity building on an online
platform using the KMME
modules and canned lectures via webinar, and
provide an avenue for
business mentorship of
the waitlisted MSMEs
across the regions and
enhance their resiliency
through a crisis.
“I am so proud of the
hardwork, dedication,
and willpower demonstrated by our MSMEs
to reboot their business
in order to recover from
the pandemic and face
the new normal. I’m sure
that the KMME-MME
Program has again produced graduates with
the mindset and values
of successful entrepreneurs. As graduates of
KMME, you are among
those who know the
secret of the power of
mentorship. Under the
KMME program, you
learn from the best and
you benefit from the past
mistakes and successes of our mentors,” said
DTI Regional Operations
Group Undersecretary
Blesila A. Lantayona in
her congratulatory message.
The graduate-mentees completed the
10-module program: entrepreneurial mind-setting; marketing mindset;
business model canvas;
operations management;
digitalization; supply
and value chain; enterprise accounting/financial management; human
resources/organization
management; product
development and marketing expansion and
internationalization; and
good governance & ethics.
“After closing my
computer shop business
because of the pandemic last 2020, I decided
to take a risk, try again,
and open up a new business to adopt to this
new normal.Dahil sa
KMME-MME Program,
nabigyan ako ng lakas
na loob na harapin ang
mga challenges. Marami
akong natutunan sa mga
pamamaraan sa pagnenegosyo. Dahil sa DTI,
nagbago ang tingin ko sa
gobyerno. Dahil sa programang ito, nabigyan
ng pag-asa ang malilit na
negosyo na gaya namin,”
said Mr. Chicoi Gonzales,
owner of Kuku Express

Solutions, Inc. in Cavite,
in his testimonial.
Another MSME from
Laguna, Mr. Tyrone Jasper Reodica, owner of
Let Eat Go Food and Beverage House in Laguna,
expressed his gratitude
tothe DTI for the assistance and guidance in his
startup business.
“Natulungan po ako
ng DTI to realize the
importance of having a
business plan and applying digitalization in my
business.Starting a business is not easy. However, when having both
a plan and passion in
everything that you do,
nothing is impossible,”
added Reodica.
“We are elated that
another batch of talented
and hardworking mentees were able to graduate this year. We cannot
wait to witness what’s in
store for you after applying all your learning from
the program. But one
thing is for sure, lots of
wonderful opportunities
await you,” said DTI 4-A
OIC-Regional Director
Marissa C. Argente.
This is the fourth
year of KMME-MME Online in CALABARZON.
Overall, there are 750
graduate-mentees from
2016-2023 in the region.
The KMME-MME
Online is a public-private
partnership program between the DTI and the
PCE-Go Negosyo to provide business coaching
and mentorship for entrepreneurs across the
country. If you want to be
a mentee of the KMMEMME Online, visit your
nearest DTI Regional
and Provincial Office or
Negosyo Center nationwide.